Pepperdine continues their road trip as they visit Northwestern. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Pepperdine-Northwestern prediction and pick.
Pepperdine comes into the game at 1-3 on the year. They opened up with a 77-64 win over Western Illinois but then would hit the road. After losing to UC San Diego and UC Irvine, they would visit UNLV. They would lose that game 80-59. Meanwhile, Northwestern is 4-1 on the year. After beating Lehigh 90-46, they would fall to Dayton 71-66. Northwestern had the lead most of the game but would go nearly six minutes in the second half without a field goal. Dayton would use a 16-1 run in that time to take the lead and the win. Since then, they have won three straight games, beating Montana State in their last game 72-69.
Here are the Pepperdine-Northwestern College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Pepperdine-Northwestern Odds
Pepperdine: +18.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +1400
Northwestern: -18.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -4000
Over: 137.5 (-110)
Under: 137.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pepperdine vs. Northwestern
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: Big Ten +
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Pepperdine Will Cover The Spread/Win
Pepperdine is 255th in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 227th on the offensive end, and 283rd on the defensive end. Pepperdine has struggled heavily this year but has some bright spots. They are 17th in the nation in fouls per game while sitting 64th in opponent free throw attempts per game. Peppering is also 78th in the nation in assist to field goal made percentage.
Stefan Todorovic leads the way for Pepperdine this year. He is scoring 23.5 points per game this year while adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Todorovic also has 1.3 steals per game on the season and turns the ball over just once per game. He is joined in the frontcourt by Dovydas Butka. Butka has 8.5 points per game while leading the team with 7.5 rebounds per game. He has 2.3 assists per game as well. Finally, Boubacar Coulibaly is adding 6.8 points per game and adds six rebounds and two blocks per game this year.
In the backcourt Moe Odum leads the way. He is scoring 11.8 points per game this year, with two rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Further, he leads the team with seven assists per game this year. Zion Bethea joins him in the backcourt. He is scoring 6.3 points per game while adding 1.8 rebounds per game. He also adds an assist and a steal per game.
Why Northwestern Will Cover The Spread/Win
Northwestern is 60th in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are 77th on the offensive end, and 53rd on the defensive end. Northwestern has been solid on defense. They are 43rd in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 146th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they are 34th in the nation in opponent rebounds per game.
Northwestern is led by Nick Martinelli. He is scoring 24.6 points per game this year to lead the team. He also has 7.6 rebounds per game, while adding an assist and 1.6 steals per game. He is joined in the frontcourt by Luke Hunder. Hunter has just 6.2 points per game this year while adding 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The frontcourt rotation is filled out by Matthew Nicholson. Nicholson has just 2.8 points per game while he adds 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He also had two blocks per game this year.
In the backcourt, Brooks Barnhizer just returned to the lineup in the last game. He scored 20 points in that game, while he added ten rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Meanwhile, Jalen Leach has led the way. He is scoring 14.8 points per game this year while adding 1.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He also has a steal per game this year. Ty Berry has also been solid. He has 8.2 points per game while adding 3.6 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals per game. Finally, KJ Windham has just 4.6 points per game but leads the team with 3.2 assists per game this year.
Final Pepperdine-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
Pepperdine has struggled this year. They have covered just once in four games this year, and that was as a favorite. As an underdog, they are 0-3 against the spread this year. Meanwhile, Northwestern is just 1-4 against the spread as well. Still, the Northwestern defense is great. They are 43rd in the nation in opponent points per game. Pepperdine is scoring just 68.5 points per game this year. That is good for 249th in the nation. While Pepperdine does not defend well, Northwestern is not a major scoring threat. Further, they are 342nd in the nation in tempo this year. Take the under in this one.
Final Pepperdine-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Under 137.5 (-110)
The post Pepperdine vs. Northwestern prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
